Search form

You are here

Fighting for Workers

A strong economic foundation for our workers requires fair and secure workplaces. Congressman Larsen has a long history of fighting for workers and their families in support of jobs, safety, higher wages and benefits.

Jobs

• FY 17 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA):

o Commissaries: Supported an amendment to prevent privatization and protect commissary workers and benefits for servicemembers.

National Labor Relations Board

o H.Res. 152: Voted to uphold the power of the NLRB to streamline the union organizing process in March 2015.

o S.J. Res. 8: Voted against this bill that would have hurt the NLRB’s decision making abilities.

o H.R. 1120 (2013): Voted against this bill that would prohibit the NLRB from taking any action that requires a quorum of members.

o H.R. 2587 (2011): Voted against this bill that limits the NLRB enforcement powers. This bill would curb the labor board’s legal authority by prohibiting it from ordering a company to relocate its workers.

• Letters:

o FY17 Request: Signed onto a letter to fund the NLRB at $275 million.

• Workplace Democracy Act: Support bill making it easier for workers to join a union. Allows the National Labor Relations Board to certify a union if a simple majority of eligible workers sign valid authorization cards.

• Support repeal of the Cadillac Tax: Supported the Omnibus Appropriations bill to delay the tax.

• Surface Reauthorization: Voted against an amendment requesting a GAO study on the economic impact of contract negotiations at ports on the west coast to continue to support unions’ ability to negotiate contracts.

• Oppose NAI application for foreign carrier service after their attempts to avoid labor and tax laws in violation of the EU-US aviation agreement to uphold labor laws.

Davis Bacon/Wages

• Travel pay: Worked to prevent reduction in travel expenses for DOD civilians. Cosponsored H.R. 1193 to rescind and prevent cuts to per diem rates. Cosponsored amendment to FY 17 and FY 16 NDAA to do the same. Urged Appropriations Committee to stop these cuts.

• Davis Bacon: Voted against amendment to the FY 16 spending bill for military construction and veterans to prohibit use of Davis Bacon rates.

• FAA Reauthorization: Opposed an attempt to raise the Davis Bacon threshold for any airport development project to $150,000.

• Surface Reauthorization: Continue prevailing wage standards. Collectively, Davis-Bacon and Project Labor Agreements protect workers and communities from the use of underpaid labor while ensuring projects are performed safely, on time and on budget by qualified and trained personnel. Consistently voted against these amendments in appropriations bills.

• Minimum Wage:

o Support the Raise Up Washington state initiative (measure 1433) to give paid sick leave and raise the minimum wage to $13.50 per hour.

o Support the Raise the Wage Act: Continue prevailing wage standards. Raise the federal minimum wage to $12 per hour by 2020.

• Support the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Hours

• FAA Reauthorization:

o Flight attendants: Support requiring a minimum of 10-hour rest periods for flight attendants, as well as fatigue risk management plans.

o Truck Drivers: Support striking the preemption of state meal and rest break laws for truck drivers.

• Schedules that Work Act: Support allowing low-wage workers to request for schedule flexibility without retaliation.

Health/Safety

• FAA Reauthorization:

o Truck Drivers: Support striking the preemption of state meal and rest break laws for truck drivers.

o Support protecting ticket and gate agents: Provide airline ticket and gate agents with the same legal protections from assaults as flight attendants and flight crews.

• Paid Sick Leave:

o Support the Raise Up Washington state initiative (measure 1433) to give paid sick leave and raise the minimum wage to $13.50 per hour.

o Cosponsor of the Healthy Families Act that would require workers to get up to seven days of paid sick days to care for themselves or a family member or loved one.

o Cosponsor of the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (HR 1439) to ensure that workers can take paid family and medical leave when they need it.

o Cosponsor of the Schedules that Work Act (HR 3071) to provide flexible, predictable and stable work schedules.

• Prevailing Wage: Support continuing prevailing wage standards. Collectively, Davis-Bacon and Project Labor Agreements protect workers and communities from the use of underpaid labor while ensuring projects are performed safely, on time and on budget by qualified and trained personnel.

• Truck size increases: Voted against an amendment to the surface transportation bill that would have allowed larger trucks on the road.

NDAA

• Commissaries: Supported an amendment to prevent privatization and protect commissary workers and benefits for servicemembers.

• Preventing outsourcing: Cosponsored amendment to extend the cap on service contracts by one year. Sponsored amendment requiring services to adopt checklist of relevant acquisition policy prior to entering into a contract for services.

• Worker protections: Voted against amendment to exempt Department of Defense contractors from Executive Order on worker protections.

• Cosponsored amendment to extend the cap on service contracts by one year.